Monthly Update: BITRE on time performance snapshot – March 2017

Each month the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) monitors the punctuality and reliability of major domestic airlines operating between Australian airports.

In March 2017, both arrival and departure percentages are trending significantly lower than the same time in 2016, approximately six percentage lower. The result has been greatly impacted by weather conditions in Queensland such Tropical Cyclone Debbie which meant a large number of services delayed or cancelled altogether.

March 2017 on time performance

Participating airlines averaged:

7% for on time arrivals

3% for on time departures

1% of all scheduled flights were cancelled.

The equivalent figures for March 2016:

3% for on time arrivals

3% for on time departures

3% of all scheduled flights were cancelled.

Averages vs. long term performance

Arrivals significantly lower: 76.7% vs. 82.7%

Departures significantly lower: 78.3% vs. 84.1%

Cancellations higher than the long term average of 1.4 per cent.

Source: BITRE and BTS

Individual carrier on time arrivals performance:

Qantas achieved the highest at 81.7%

Virgin Australia at 78.9%

Jetstar at 69.9%

Tigerair Australia at 66.2%

Individual regional carrier on time arrivals performance:

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines achieved the highest at 82.6%

QantasLink at 79.0%

Regional Express at 72.1%

Individual network on time arrivals performance:

The Qantas network recorded 80.3%

The Virgin Australia network recorded 79.1%

Individual carrier on time departures performance:

Qantas achieved the highest at 83.7%

Virgin Australia at 81.0%

Jetstar at 67.7%

Tigerair Australia at 67.0%

Individual regional carrier on time departures performance:

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines recorded 84.3%

QantasLink at 80.2%

Regional Express at 76.8%

Individual network on time departures performance:

The Qantas network recorded 81.8%

The Virgin Australia network recorded 81.2%

Source: BITRE

March 2017 – Cancellations

QantasLink recorded the highest percentage of cancellations at 4.2%

Virgin Australia at 4.1%

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 3.6%

Jetstar at 2.7%

Tigerair Australia at 2.4%

Regional Express at 2.0%

Qantas at 1.8%

On time performance across for individual routes

Adelaide-Alice Springs equalled the highest percentage of on time arrivals at 95.6%

Darwin-Alice Springs equalled the highest percentage of on time departures at 95.4%

Dubbo-Sydney had the lowest percentage of on time arrivals 53.0%

Sunshine Coast-Melbourne route had the lowest percentage of on time departures 50.9%

Cancellations were highest for Sydney-Hamilton Island route at 21.3%, due to Cyclone Debbie

Alice Springs Airport recorded the highest percentage of on time arrivals at 95.5%

Port Lincoln Airport recorded the highest percentage of on time departures at 92.3%

Source: BITRE

How do we compare against the US?

Source: BITRE & US Department of Transportation

Notes: February comparison shown due to March US data not yet available.

All Australian carrier data and information contained in this article is sourced from the BITRE.